Students at McGill University’s law faculty remain divided over the presence of a convicted murderer in the classroom, with a new counter-petition outlining why some students feel unsafe and don’t want him in their presence.
The anonymous open letter, dated Oct. 19 and put forward by a group of students, accuses the university of failing in its duty to protect female students.
It outlines concerns about Jeffrey George Ewert, who was convicted of second-degree murder and attempted murder for attacks against two women in B.C. in 1984.
The authors argue that attempting to rehabilitate a convicted murderer without adequate safety frameworks goes against the university’s core values and breaches its duty of care to the student body.
“McGill’s failure to do so unduly and disproportionately harms the young women of our community,” the document reads.
Convicted killer attending McGill law school divides students over safety, 2nd chances
The students want the university to form a committee that would include both students and experts on the rehabilitation of violent offenders in order to develop guidelines for next steps.
“Any decision to resume Ewert’s in-person studies must be made only after the committee has developed this framework,” the letter goes on to say.
The authors say they chose to withhold their names because signing the document raises safety concerns for them.
Ewert is serving a life sentence and was granted day parole in 2025.
He sexually assaulted and killed one woman and, less than six weeks later, beat and choked a 15-year-old so severely that she was paralyzed and disabled for life, according to a summary of his case in his parole board file.
While various clinical assessments ranked Ewert’s risk of reoffending as moderate to high, official parole documents say with close supervision at a halfway house and clinical follow-up, that risk “seems to fall more into the moderate risk category.” He has not been on campus since early October.
The letter follows an earlier petition arguing Ewert should be allowed to return to university.
McGill law school grapples with fallout after paroled murderer excluded from campus
That document argues the exclusion undermines Ewert’s access to education and rehabilitation as an Indigenous man and a survivor of the Sixties Scoop.
Annica Dickens, one of the authors of the petition and a third-year law student, said she was troubled that Ewert was removed from campus without being given the chance to address the concerns first.
“People cannot meaningfully rebuild their lives if their opportunities can be withdrawn so readily,” said Dickens in an email.
Meanwhile, a second letter supporting Ewert, addressed to the university’s leadership, has been signed by hundreds of academics, students and citizens.
It reiterates many of the concerns raised by Dickens and asks that the university restore Ewert’s full access to the Faculty of Law and “review how decisions concerning Indigenous, racialized and formerly incarcerated students are made.”
McGill University did not provide an update on Ewert’s status, or answer questions about allegations raised in the counter-petition.
A spokesperson told CBC News that the “safety and security of our students is paramount. Full stop.”
Citing privacy laws, the university declined to comment on the specific case, but said “McGill would act quickly and decisively should concerning information be brought forward about a student’s background or behaviour on campus.”
Convicted killer attending McGill law school divides students over safety, 2nd chances
The controversy has sparked debate within the broader legal community in Canada.
In an op-ed in the Montreal Gazette, one lawyer wrote there is a “bitter irony in asking women entering a profession that demands confidence, advocacy and strength to share their education with a man whose own file describes a need to dominate and control women.”
Lisa Kerr, an associate professor and director of the Criminal Law Group at Queen’s University, cautioned that “we should be very hesitant about any measures that could result in the exclusion of people with criminal records from accessing education.
“Canada’s incarcerated population is in desperate need of education and job training,” she wrote in an email to CBC.
“We want people with criminal records and experiences of incarceration to access education and gain the skills for successful reintegration.”
Lisa Kerr is an associate professor and director of the Criminal Law Group at Queen’s University. (Queen’s University)
CBC Montreal contacted other law faculties in the province, including Université de Sherbrooke, Université Laval, Université du Québec à Montréal and Université de Montréal, to ask what measures they have in place to manage or mitigate risks when admitting students with past violent criminal convictions.
All four universities said they are not permitted to ask applicants about their criminal history.
“This violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” said Geneviève O’Meara, a spokesperson at Université de Montréal.
Simon La Terreur, a spokesperson at Université Laval, said the university does not intend “to take the place of the competent authorities in assessing the risk a person may pose for the purposes of parole, but the safety of our university community remains a priority nonetheless.”
